Firearms Myth 7: Gun Ownership is Rare

Ok, this one really bugs me. It's not necessarily a stated myth. It's more implied by nature of the media and Democrat politicians demonizing gun ownership in America as some fringe, legacy attribute of our Republic left over from the days of hunting. It's perpetuated by politicians who pass laws restricting the purchasing process, ownership, or ammunition supply, claiming those laws keep firearms out of the hands of criminals. See the implication there? It's that most people engaged in purchasing firearms or related goods, have malicious intent or are up to no good. By creating this image that pro-gun people are either legacy in mindset or malicious in nature, the media and politicians are planting the thought in your mind that gun owners are few and far between.

As gun sales are currently surging at record numbers, there are also ongoing attempts by mainstream media outlets to say gun ownership is actually declining. Yep. Crazy huh? I've cited a few articles below where these media outlets - in the same article - present a series of facts (selected facts) and then present their analysis, based on a ton of unstated assumptions, to try to get you to think that gun ownership is declining. To the myth!

Firearms Myth 7: Gun ownership is rare.

This myth couldn't be further from the truth. I'll even use the mainstream media's data points & articles to illustrate this.

According to a 2013 report from the Pew Research Center (see http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2013/06/04/a-minority-of-americans-own-guns-but-just-how-many-is-unclear/), 1/3 of Americans admitted that someone in their household owns a firearm. Sure, that is a minority of the population, but consider that for a moment. One out of every three houses on your street, in your neighborhood, in your apartment complex, contains a gun owner. The Pew Research Center goes on to estimate there are around 310 million firearms owned privately in the US, enough to arm every man, woman and child. That's a lot of owners, and a lot of firearms. As a side note, given liberal democrat hysteria about firearm ownership, you'd think with 1/3 households owning firearms, there would be mass shootings or gun battles on every street corner. One article below even claims suicide rates increase with gun ownership, yet nationally, as gun ownership increases, homicides and suicides involving a firearm are dropping drastically.

Now, a quick caveat. Statistics on gun ownership are generally believed to be on the low-end because many survey responders who are gun owners are hesitant to provide specifics due to privacy concerns. So gun ownership numbers are likely lower than actuals.

Let's restate that. It's likely that at least 1 out of every 3 homes in America contains a firearm owner, and that number is likely low.

Not so rare after-all. In fact, recent studies have shown gun ownership in America is skyrocketing with monthly sales continuing to set records and doubling in figures since 2011.

According to the NRA-ILA (see here https://www.nraila.org/articles/20150911/summer-2015-new-record-for-gun-sales), FBI data indicates firearms sales in the US increased month-over-month for 8 straight months in 2015, with more recent articles indicating 2016 is continuing the trend. The trend or surge started in 2010, when Democrats starting with President Obama began threatening new legislation to restrict firearm ownership. Surges have also followed terrorist attacks, and the growing ISIS threat. Regardless, the data says gun purchases have been increasing since 2010 and are still growing.

Another study by the Pew Research Center in 2015 showed that the majority of Americans at 52% favor securing gun rights for Americans and decreasing restrictions on purchasing & ownership. http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2015/04/17/despite-lower-crime-rates-support-for-gun-rights-increases/

Here's another fun trend. According to data in 2015 published by the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), women represent a considerable demographic of new gun owners. According to their research, more than 30% of gun purchases since 2010 (the current surge), were by women. Further, more than 40% of women who own a gun, personally own more than 1 and have purchased them in the past 10 years. Other data suggests these numbers are even higher in 2016. See here http://www.gunsandammo.com/gun-culture/women-gun-owners-nssf-1/. Among many women surveyed, they cite personal defense as the primary reason to purchase a new firearm. That aligns with FBI statistics on the growing number of CCW applications. Threats are increasing and people want the assurance that if confronted with a personal threat, they will have the upper hand.

Now let's look at the numbers in another way.

According to data from the Washington Post (https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2015/10/21/the-average-gun-owner-now-owns-8-guns-double-what-it-used-to-be/), the average gun owner in America owns more than 8 firearms. I'll say that again. The average gun owner in America owns more than 8 firearms. That's 2013 data, during the period of record breaking sales that are increasing in volume & frequency. It's likely well beyond 8 firearms per owner at this point. Well beyond in fact, as the Washington Post also claims (although there's no hard data to support this), that many new purchases are by existing gun owners. If that's true, then the ratio of guns to owners is rapidly increasing.

So, let's correlate that to the households statistic. If every owner owns at least 8 guns, and there's an owner in 1 of every 3 homes in America, that's far more than 2 firearms for every home. That supports the Pew Research Center's assertion that there are enough firearms for every man, woman, and child in America.

Now, the Washington Post article goes on to claim that the number of households containing a firearm is down from the 50% rate observed in the 70s, thus inferring that gun ownership is on the decline. That's their guess, and not necessarily supported by the data. In fact the data directly conflicts with that myth. You see what's happening? They give you data, then twist it with their analysis to leave you with a myth. With gun sales skyrocketing today, and most buys being first-time buyers, that tells us ownership on a per capita perspective is steadily rising, despite the surveys.

The Washington Post also commented in one recent story that along with gun sales, applications for CCWs are increasing. Now, that doesn't necessarily imply a 1:1 ratio of new gun owners, but it does imply more interest in concealed carry. The Washington Post also noted (here: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2016/01/05/gun-sales-hit-new-record-ahead-of-new-obama-gun-restrictions/) that gun sales surge after tragic events and calls from politicians for new gun control. That could indicate existing gun owners are buying up before new restrictions are implemented, but that doesn't answer the correlation between a tragedy, calls for CCWs, and new purchases. That correlation actually implies new owners. In fact, surveys following tragedies like mass shootings and terrorist attacks, show overwhelming support among the public for increased gun ownership and decreased restrictions. That's right. The Washington Post says ownership is declining, but people purchasing guns say the opposite.

I wonder if these media outlets actually talk to gun owners. In my own experience at local shops and ranges, I often see first time buyers. In fact, the majority of people hovering around the gun counter seem to be novices.

The numbers are muddy as you can tell. So are some of the articles I've referenced as the news outlets taint their analysis with their anti-gun agenda, again, trying to dispense the myth that gun ownership is rare. It's not. It's extremely popular and increasing, with national support for gun rights on the rise.

Myth busted.